The Nancy Schwartz Sternoff Fund, established in loving memory of Nancy Schwartz Sternoff z”l, will provide financial support to self-identified women who are selected to participate in Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program. The Fund will honor Nancy’s legacy as a distinguished alumna of the Selah program and a stalwart supporter of women’s leadership for progressive social change. In addition to her deep commitment to the promotion of Jewish women’s leadership, Nancy was an active Selah alumna, extending her wisdom and expertise to mentor many women in the program and providing wise counsel to staff and fellow alumni. With a goal of raising $300,000, the Nancy Schwartz Sternoff Fund will make it possible for all women selected for the program to participate regardless of their financial capacity. As someone who recognizes what a privilege it was to call Nancy a colleague, mentor, family, or friend, we ask that you help ensure her legacy and consider making a gift towards this endowment.

PURPOSE OF FUND: The purpose of the Fund is to ensure that self-identified women can access the transformative leadership experience of the Selah Leadership Program by removing financial barriers to participation. While Bend the Arc is able to subsidize participation (currently approximately $7,500 per participant) with the support of grant funding, there are participant costs related to tuition, event registration, and travel/lodging. For example, while financial aid is available to participate in a Selah cohort; this aid only covers room, board, materials, and training, but does not include travel expenses. Individual participants can incur costs ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 for a six-month Selah cohort. The Nancy Schwartz Sternoff Fund will assist self-identified women in participating in both cohort programming and alumni activities, including the Selah Network Gathering, a weekend-long convening of the full Selah alumni network that serves as an opportunity for alumni to reconnect with one another and refresh their relationship to the core principles and practices of Selah.

JWFN is thinking, learning and taking action to change these numbers and the realities of the lives they reflect.

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Who We Are

The Jewish Women’s Funding network is a collaborative of 25 member organizations engaged in social change fundraising, advocacy and grantmaking to change the world for women and girls. The network has awarded nearly $33 million in grants and $4 million in the current cycle and holds over $40.5 million in assets and endowed funds, and boasts close to 2000 active member, donors and trustees. Currently the network has a collaborative of more than 15 member funds that are grantmaking together in Israel.

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I would say that one of the greatest values is not only the larger lens about gender, but the opportunity to learn about how, primarily in our own Jewish community, there are big pockets at the margins whose needs we haven’t thought about, we haven’t addressed, and the power of doing that collectively and bringing these issues to the surface should not be underestimated. It’s a fantastic opportunity.

— Nancy Schwartz Sternoff

If I could make any other contribution to this movement before I leave this earth, it would be that the women who are participating in the funds begin to internalize and then actualize the values of trying to move the dials for women and girls.